Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson, also known as the "Galveston Giant," was an American boxer who became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion during the height of the Jim Crow era. With a professional boxing career that spanned over 33 years, from 1897 to 1931, Johnson left a lasting impact on the sport of boxing and U.S. culture.

Born on March 31, 1878, in Galveston, Texas, Jack Johnson entered the boxing world in 1897 at the age of 19. He won his first professional bout against Charley Brooks via 2nd round KO and went on to win his next two fights, both by stoppage. Johnson quickly made a name for himself, winning 11 of his first 13 professional fights by knockout.

Over the course of his career, Johnson had a total of 93 fights, winning 69, losing 11, drawing 10, and having 3 no-contests. He won 33 fights via knockout, but never won a world title or defended one. His notable victories include wins over seven Hall-of-Famers, James J. Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel, Tommy Burns, Bob Fitzsimmons, Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford, and Sam McVey, as well as Denver Ed Martin, Joe Butler, Klondike Haynes, Frank Childs, and Sandy Ferguson.

Johnson's record-breaking 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the "fight of the century." Johnson's victory in this fight was seen as a symbolic triumph over white supremacy, as Jeffries was previously known as the "Great White Hope" and had retired as the unbeaten heavyweight champion of the world.

While Jack Johnson's triumphs in the boxing ring were significant, his personal life and controversial behavior also made headlines. Johnson's relationships with white women and his extravagant lifestyle were looked down upon by the African-American community and society at large.

In 1912, Johnson opened a "black and tan" (desegregated) nightclub called Cafe de Champion, which was operated in part by his white wife. His relationships with white women and his ownership of the nightclub drew scrutiny from the government, and Johnson was eventually arrested and charged with violating the Mann Act, which forbade one to transport a woman across state lines for "immoral purposes." He was sentenced to a year in prison and fled the country to fight boxing matches abroad for seven years until serving his sentence at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth.

Jack Johnson was married three times, all to white women. In 1911, Johnson married Etta Duryea, a Brooklyn socialite, but their tumultuous relationship led to his infidelity and abuse. Duryea attempted suicide twice before fatally shooting herself in 1912. Johnson then married Lucille Cameron in 1912, but their relationship was also fraught with infidelity and eventually ended in divorce. Johnson's final marriage was to Irene Pineau in 1925, and they remained together until his death in 1946.

After his boxing career, Johnson continued to take paying fights and earned significant sums endorsing various products. He owned several expensive hobbies, such as automobile racing and tailored clothing, as well as purchasing jewelry and furs for his wives. Johnson died in a car crash in 1946 at the age of 68.

With his impact on boxing, U.S. culture, and the fight for racial equality, Jack Johnson remains a prominent figure in history. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump in 2018. His story serves as a reminder of the progress made in the fight for racial equality and the work that still needs to be done.

Jack Johnson Fight Record